Yearbook quote that has helped me through school. by Kendall

Yearbook quote that has helped me through school. by Kendall - November 2018 Scholarship Essay

Four of us girls were sitting in the back of the bus.
“She’s terrible and she is taking playing time away from girls who actually are good,” Lianne said.
“We just need to confront her because she doesn’t know what she’s doing and she’s treating us unfairly,” Hailey said.
“This is just ridiculous and we all as a team need to confront them both because I am tired of losing and we just need to tell her we don't like her coaching and Bailey is not good enough to be playing with us,” Lianne said.
I sat in silence as their conversation continued. I turned away from them and shook my head in disapproval.
“What’s your problem? Hailey asked.
Playing varsity high school sports can be pressure-packed. Pressure comes in different forms and from different sources, and knowing how to handle that pressure on and off the court ultimately determines the success you have on it. In volleyball this past season, I had to deal with multiple situations that made me question who I was as a person, what I was willing to stand for, and the price I was willing to pay for taking that stance.
"Do not be afraid to make the right decision, even if it means standing alone." I had always “believed” this quote, but now I was being forced to live it. I felt cornered by my teammates and wondered why they wanted to hurt a teammate over a trivial matter, or go to the point of disrespecting our coach.
I had two roads I could take with two very different consequences for my choice. I could go along with them and everyone would still like me and I would not get any backlash from most of the team. Or I could stand up for my teammate and coach by standing up to the small group of complainers in the back of the bus, knowing they would be mean to me whenever possible and make sure I was excluded from the fun parts of being on a team.
The choice was easy, but the consequences were hard. The backlash and isolation would be difficult, but not as difficult as living with the feeling of betraying my values. I knew isolation would be the consequence, but I knew making the right decision was what I had to do.
What I did not expect was the loneliness. Life was very hard during volleyball season, because any time people would pressure me, I stood up for my values. Every time I did that, people moved farther and farther away. I would get emotional when I got home, wondering why people would not speak to me or invite me to do anything outside of school. Sometimes I questioned myself and wondered if it was worth taking a stand.
I got through that season. There are many hard days, but as days passed it got easier and easier. I have been on other teams with those girls since that volleyball season. While I'm sure they still talk about things, it is much quieter when I am sitting with them on the back of the bus.